My Dear Disco

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This continues long enough for me to start an out-of-body experience, except I get jerked back each time someone in the crowd whistles or yells. Mad Scientist Bob, who "plays" a laptop, comes up and joins them on a bizarre little contraption he's made  a joystick connected to what appears to be a food warming plate. He's working the joystick and tapping the pad of the plate, making percussive, reverberating sounds. Aaron picks up his drumstick, still blowing on that didgeridoo, and adds a few cymbal taps to the mix. The whole scene is a freaking trip. It's trancy and brilliant and gives me hope for the future of this planet  all during the first song.

The other band members filter onstage, and the bass player moves the group, with bagpipes, into a funky groove for a good twenty minutes. At any given time there are two saxophones, three keyboards (including Bob's laptop), and four guitars playing tight, visibly professional, original songs. They call up a female singer for some reggae/techno/dreamy tunes, and that morphs seamlessly into disco. The vocal levels at the Pig are never good, but from what I can hear, she has an old-school soul-diva voice.

No matter how tired, how old, or how superior you believe yourself to be, you should see this group for yourself and experience what happens when you immerse children in the arts: they grow up to be thoughtful, considerate, intelligent, passionate adults.

My Dear Disco headlines a local music showcase at Live at PJ's on Saturday, October 6.